Friday, August 3, 2012

Lissa Price: How to Apply Screenwriting Techniques to Make Any YA Book Better


Lissa Price is author of the debut novel STARTERS, an international bestseller. She is hard at work on the sequel, ENDERS.



Lissa switched from writing screenplays to writing novels because there are advantages: You’re able to get inside a readers head; The industry is kinder; You can write a book from anywhere in the world.

Lissa believes her writing process, with a screenwriting background, made her debut experience much easier. Some of that ease came from the having a high concept book.

Lissa asks: What does your logline look like?
A logline is one or two sentences that encapsulates your book in a wonderful way.

Movie example: A lawyer cannot tell a lie for 24 hours. (Liar Liar)

A treat for the crowd: Lissa is taking loglines from the audience and helping to focus and strengthen them.

Some tips on building the pitch:
  • ·      Identify the genre.
  • ·      Who’s the main character?
  • ·      What makes her unique?
  • ·      What’s the inciting incident?
  • ·      What is the main character’s goal?
  • ·      Identify the major conflict your character will face.
  • ·      What are the consequences if she fails?

Recommended reading:

STORY by Robert McKee
SAVE THE CAT by Blake Snyder
THE WRITER’S JOURNEY by Christopher Vogler
THE SCREENWRITER'S PROBLEM SOLVER by Syd Field




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